The Life of Augustus Autumn
by Aroukar
Summary: This story will be about the Enclave after the destruction of the Oil Rig in 2242.  Main character for now is Augustus Autumn Sr., but will focus later on his progeny. Please enjoy.
1. Chapter 1

**For the purposes of the story, I have taken liberties with certain details, and it may not appear to reflect canon Fallout at times. For the most part I use as my guide, the Fallout Wiki. Hope you enjoy the story.**

It was like a nightmare, it was unimaginable. This was the first of many thoughts that surged to his mind, as he rushed down to the lower levels of the oil rig. He reached the officers' level. As he stepped out of the elevator, he bumped into a scientist knocking the crate of holotapes he was carrying to the floor. "Hey Autumn, I know you are the head scientist and all, but watch…" The man could not finish his sentence as Augustus Autumn, head scientist of the Enclave, brushed him aside and continued along. His family, he had to get them out of here. He reached his apartment and opened the door. "Mary, we have to go, where is Junior?" "He is in his crib, but what's wrong?" "Mary…, we have to leave NOW." Grabbing his wife by her shoulders and looking at her in the eyes, he understood that at least, she would need a basic explanation. "Mary, the president is dead and the nuclear reactor's cooling systems have been disabled." Mary Autumn gasped and started panicking. "Oh God, no this can't be happening!" she said as she paced about the room. Autumn with desperate worry said "Mary, pull yourself together! Get Junior and the bare essentials." Realizing that her child's life was at stake, she rushed to his room, grabbed a duffel bag and threw stuff in. She carried it the foyer and went back for her child. She momentarily looked at him, nearly in tears, wracked by the recent events, and on his gentle sleeping face, she saw so much of his father, she remembered the day of his birth, and that memory in turn, brought back the memory of the night of lovemaking that had conceived him originally. "I love you so… much, it feels as though I am burning in your embrace" he had told her. She had just smiled then, and held him tighter and he burned more for her. Discarding her thoughts, she bundled him and carried him to the foyer. Her husband had already packed things for her and was carrying two duffel bags on his shoulders. Nodding at her they left, the apartment where their old life was left.

Augustus, rushed to the elevator, and held it for his wife and child. As the doors closed an officer and his family, were also making for the elevator. Autumn, driven to extremes, was repeatedly and insistently pressing the button to make the elevator ascend. The doors were starting to close but his wife intervened. "Mary, we are almost out of time!" he told her. She looked at him, making him understand, that although she was driven by the same desperation, she had not given up her morals. Officer Sullivan and his wife and two children huddled inside. "Thank you for holding the elevator, Chief Science Officer Autumn, I was afraid I wouldn't make it." Officer Sullivan said as the elevator began its rapid ascent to the vertibird bay.

Autumn looked at the time, right about now the reactor's monitoring systems should alert the general population to one of the crises occurring in the oil rig. True to his estimate, the PA system engaged. "Attention Enclave personnel, a failure in the nuclear reactor has occurred, please begin evacuation procedures in an orderly fashion. This is not a drill. This message repeats…" "Orderly fashion my ass" said Major Sullivan. He was referring to the fact that although the evacuation drills that were exercised bi-annually were almost always executed perfectly, it was known that if a real situation happened, most people would turn into a panicked mob that would push and shove to and get stuck. Foreseeing a problem, the Congress along with President Richardson Senior, decided that there was a marked importance of some individuals, to ensure the Enclave's survival. Congress, military leaders, the president, and heads of departments were outfitted with a biometrically-sealed bracelet that pinged and flashed in an emergency, before those deemed not critical to the Enclave's mission were made aware of any situation. Augustus Autumn, as head of the science department, was presented with a bracelet of his own. Autumn grew angry at the thought that he would have to leave his family. Against his orders he went for them. He consoled himself, in the fact that he was not the only one. Major Sullivan was an example. Autumn could easily imagine, the panic of the Major as his bracelet, alerted him. Perhaps, he had wrestled with his conscience, putting his family and his duty on the balance. He was military, unlike Autumn, whose position was civilian but in the role of aiding the military. Duty was more important to him than to Autumn. The sound of the elevator settling as they arrived cleared his mind.

There was a crowd. Although not yet violent, it had the potential to become so. Autumn and his wife and child followed Sullivan and his own family, through the crowd. The vertibirds were fenced off and a checkpoint had been established. After an obese senator passed with his mistress, Sullivan stepped up to the gate officer. "Name, rank or position, priority clearance code if any, and names of guests." He questioned impatiently. "Sullivan, R., major in the Enclave High Command. Priority clearance Echo Foxtrot 495. This is my family accompanying me". The checkpoint officer knew full well, that family members were non-critical, but knowing full well that he had let a senator through with his girlfriend, at the threat of a decreased pay-grade or discharge, he let them through. Augustus stepped up. "Autumn Augustus, Chief Science Officer of the Enclave, this is my family." The guard looked at a monitor on the panel to his right, and after examining it he said: "You may pass, but your wife and child must wait, until all critical personnel, have been secured." The officer only allowed Sullivan's family to pass through because of his priority clearance, but this scientist, did not possess a priority code, so he wished to abide by the rules as much as possible in this situation. Autumn wasn't going to leave his family behind so without causing too much of a commotion he turned to leave. "Wait, I authorize Autumn's guests, Priority clearance Delta Zulu 109" a familiar voice spoke behind Autumn. Augustus turned around and past the security point, looking at him from behind the fence was his long-time friend, Charles Curling, head of the military's Chemical Corps.

"Charles, what's the meaning of this?" Autumn asked. "I understand how important your family is to you, now hurry and go." Curling replied. Feeling pressed for time, but still desiring an explanation, Autumn hurried his family through the gate. I'll meet you on the other side he said to his wife. Autumn now turned to face Charles. "I am sure you can go with us, so what's the matter?" "I cannot explain it completely myself, but I realized something after meeting the intruder personally." Charles said in a melancholy tone. "The intruder?" Autumn asked, vaguely remembering the security report detailing a subhuman wastelander infiltrating the oil rig, and most likely setting off the events that were transpiring as they spoke. "You met it?" Autumn asked. "Yes, I met Him." Curling replied seemingly bothered by Autumn's choice of words. Charles continued, "I was in my laboratory when troops came from a side door and told me to take cover. Moments later, the main entrance was blown open and a grenade was thrown in. The men and I were knocked down and as they stood up, they were hit by energy weapons, until one by one they went down. I was so afraid, for my life, I thought I would die. As the smoke cleared he walked through. I at point I was cowering on the floor with my head between my arms, expecting the end at any moment. I heard his steps approach me and stop. To my surprise, I was tapped on the shoulder and told to stand up. He was wearing our power armor variant, and he had a gauss rifle on his back and a laser rifle in his hands. I stood up and he removed his helmet. He was like others from the waste: scarred face and piercing, staring eyes, dirty and dusty. He asked me how to stop the FEV. I admit I still had the old mentality and told him that I would never yield to a filthy mutant as he. He was quiet for a few moments before he asked, if I had family. I couldn't help myself and remembered Gladys, how we met, how happy we were, how we made up after little fights, how happy she was when she was expecting the baby, and… how she and the baby died at childbirth. I was upset and I told him that the whole point of the FEV operation was to pave the way to a future safe for our families. He said that some of the subjects we were experimenting on were his family, and the reason why he was here was to save them. I told him he and other wastelanders suffered and that their lives were miserable. He told me that was true, but he could live on if he had those near to his heart, and that the wish of all men was to live. I realized he spoke the truth. We were going to do the same thing; killing people, not mutants, because we felt that was what needed to be done so that we could live. I felt mad at the façade that was my life, the president, and the Enclave. I inoculated him against the virus and the test subjects. I even offered to release the virus on the oil rig, that's how insane I was at the moment! But, he said that wasn't reasonable, and that the other people on the oil rig were people too. He said that though he killed people who actively opposed him and that he was going to overload the nuclear reactor, we still had a chance to live if everyone abandoned the plan. I told him it was unlikely that the citizens of the oil rig would never accept mutants. He must have understood for he left after sighing with pity."

Augustus listened to it, but he could not believe it. "Surely, you're kidding", he said with disbelief. "Come with us you are not in your right mind." At that moment a large, chaotic mass of people emerged from the main access to the heliport and rushed to the vertibirds. "Go." Curling told Autumn. "What about you?" Autumn asked. "Just go, and remember my friend that they're people too." Curling said before running into and vanishing into the mob. He entered the checkpoint just before it was sealed and guards held weapons ready. He rushed to the vertibird with his family and got on. The hatches sealed and it began to rise. Looking through the window, Autumn could see that the guards had been overwhelmed and the throng was making for the last vertibirds; the ones designated for Congress. It had not departed as some members were still absent.

They crowded and protested, trying to get onboard but there was not nearly enough space to take them aboard. As Autumn watched the situation grew worse; shots were fired, and people screamed. It seemed like it was an ending to everything their lives had ever known; order and protocol. The people left on the rig were behaving like animals, screaming and yelling, fighting and dying; in their final moments, their human monsters had seethed to the surface. And yet, there remained those who sat in the distance, weeping and embracing with their loved ones. This landscape of human drama, growing ever further away, was observed by Augustus Autumn through a small window in the vertibird.

Then after the Enclave oil rig had become a point in the distance it happened. A blinding light, all encompassing, grew larger than everything until it seemed night was day to the occupants of the vertibirds. This was followed by a sound so powerful it shook the aircraft. Mary screamed, "Our home, it's gone! Everything is gone!" The baby was crying, and it was having an effect on the rest of the people onboard. Autumn tried to calm his wife with words to no avail, and she kept struggling in his arms. He opened his coat and pulled a syringe filled with a relaxant and injected her with it. She grew limp in his arms, and fell unconscious. After putting her in a comfortable position, he reached for his child, and wordlessly calmed him down. He fell asleep after a while. After Augustus put him in his crib, he sat in his chair, put his hands on his face, and cried bitter tears quietly. Their lives had permanently changed, and were bound to change more once they arrived at Navarro.


	2. Chapter 2

**For the purposes of the story, I have taken liberties with certain details, and it may not appear to reflect canon Fallout at times. For the most part I use as my guide, the Fallout Wiki. Hope you enjoy the story.**

**Thank you for your patience. Please give constructive criticism**

"Do I not destroy my enemies when I make them my friends?" – _President Abraham Lincoln_

As the vertibirds flew over land, dark clouds rolled over the sky. Soon, it began to rain and a steady stream of rain began falling. The sky was gray in the early morning when they arrived at Navarro. It was quite a scene below; many vertibirds had arrived before them and people were crowding around the bunker entrance. There appeared to be no one injured, but they still had a medical crew on standby, which was mostly relegated to administering tranquilizers to hysterical individuals, and calming down the disconsolate ones in the unrelenting rain and wind. Once the vertibird landed, a wheelchair was provided for Autumn's unconscious wife and another person bore the sleeping child to the quarters provided for the family. They were quite fortunate in that matter; most of the lower ranked soldiers and civilians were forced to sleep in the hallways of the overwhelmed base. It was quite noisy, and occasionally troublesome to negotiate said passageways, but eventually he reached the room assigned for his family.

As he entered, it became clear that his room was originally a supply closet; it was small, and one wall still had a few boxes of cleaning supplies. Another wall had a stacked bunk bed, the higher bunk containing the unconscious form of Mary and the lower bunk was occupied by Augustus Jr., bundled with a warm blanket. There was only one chair, and it was presently occupied by the female private who was tasked with watching the baby while the parents were unavailable. When she saw Autumn enter, she immediately stood up and informed him that everything was taken care of. Grateful but weary, Augustus told her, that she could leave and that he would put in a good word for her with her superior. She thanked Autumn greatly and squeezed past him to leave. Augustus proceeded to sit on the chair and stare intently at his family from across the room. He kept thinking back on the words her distressed wife had said on the aircraft: "Our home… Everything is gone…" She was right, what would happen to the Enclave now that their homes were wiped from existence? His thoughts about this matter were broken up, as Mary began to stir. He stood up and took his wife's dangling hand and massaged it. "I'm sorry" she said in a wispy voice, while looking at him. "I know" he replied lovingly. Just then, the baby yawned and looked up at his father. Augustus scooped him up, and placed him in his mother's arms. He giggled happily. "What are we going to do now?" His wife asked. "I don't have a clue, but we will figure something out." He replied. "How did I ever survive without you?" She told him lovingly. "You didn't." He replied teasingly. Suddenly, the base PA system came on. "Enclave personnel with military clearance Level 5 or higher, report to the War Room in Sector 3. That is all." I've got to go. "Get yourself and Junior to the lower bunk, and ask for some rations or water, while I return." Autumn instructed his wife. "Take care." She said, as he closed the door behind him.

He made his way to the War Room and flashed his ID card, before going in. It was a circular amphitheater, and in the middle of it was a hologram table outlining a map of the world, but focused around the United States of America. Most countries, such as Russia, China, and the U.S. itself were blanketed by red circles surrounded by larger circles and clouds of yellow, denoting nuclear impacts, and the resulting fallout and its spread. Autumn finally turned his attention to the personnel around the table. There was a furious discussion. "Who is the highest-ranking officer here?" Asked Captain Picard, trying to create a semblance of order. Most of the arguments were between Colonel Sanders, Major Sullivan, and the Navarro Base CO. "That is clearly me, Captain. We have already checked the roster, no generals have survived." Said Sanders. "It must be a group decision." The Navarro commander added. "There needs to be no decision, I am the highest link, on the goddamn chain of command! I demand the respect that entails!" Sanders yelled visibly agitated. "We cannot defer authority to you, considering your behavior. Clearly the recent events have derailed your thoughts." Sullivan reasoned. "So you think, an immediate retaliation would be insanity! Those 'things' have killed our families, and destroyed our homes!" Sanders continued to scream. "You may have a point, but you are not fit to lead such an endeavor; you are not in your right mind, if you think the men, will be fit to accomplish such a task, you are wrong." Sullivan countered. "The men will do whatever, is ordered of them, no questions asked! So cut your pansy bullshit and arm the men and we will go hunting as many of those goddamn mutants as we possibly can!" Sanders stated. There was a notable air among the observers of these discussions; they felt that Sanders was making a valid point. But Sullivan's concern in the men's wellbeing was justified as well. The debate continued furiously for a few minutes, before Sanders screamed and pulled out his pistol and shot Sullivan in the gut. While Sullivan lay on the floor bleeding, Sanders spoke: "From now on, YOU will LISTEN to ME, and anybody that contradicts my direct orders will be executed!" The other officers were noticeably quiet, and seemingly willing to listen and do Sanders' bidding. Suddenly, another shot rang out, and Sanders toppled backwards into computer monitors, and they broke as he fell; he was dead. Autumn was still breathing heavily, with the smoking gun in his hand. All eyes were upon him. Recovering slightly, he took control of the situation: "Get a medic for Sullivan, NOW!

After an hour everything was back to normal. The late colonel's body had been removed and the debris from the computer monitors. The other Enclave leaders sat around the hologram table discussing the matter of who was to lead the Enclave. Those not involved sat in the seats around the amphitheater watching the proceedings. Finally they came to an agreement. Autumn was sitting on a chair listening to what was being said to him. "Autumn, you will not be court-marshaled for your actions against the former Colonel Sanders. This committee finds your actions justified and reasonable, seeing as you saved the life of Major Sullivan. In conclusion, though you lack extensive military experience, your display of situational control has left this committee with the undoubted decision to place upon you the role of Commander of the Enclave, and the rank of Colonel. Do you accept this command?" "I do." Autumn replied. "Do you, Augustus Autumn, solemnly swear to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, bear true faith and allegiance to the same; take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which you are about to enter; So help you God?" "I, Augustus Autumn, having been appointed an officer in the Army of the United States, as indicated above in the grade of Colonel do solemnly affirm that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic, that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office upon which I am about to enter; So help me God." This was followed by a round of applause, and then a silence as the national anthem played.

The next morning, Autumn woke up tired at midday. After the previous day's events, he was worn out. He was moved with his family into the apartment previously occupied by Colonel Sanders. He stretched out and went to the office that was the entrance, and sat at the desk. He prepared some coffee and powered up the computer terminal on the desk. He had a message from the Communication Array. It read:

CLASSIFICATION: High

ENCRYPTION: Bravo 342

Autumn groaned for a moment while he searched the desk for the correct decryption key. Finding it he decrypted and read the rest of the message.

Colonel Autumn:

At 0400 hours this morning, a message arrived from Site R in the Washington D.C. area. Since that time the message has been re-sent every ten minutes, asking for a reply. Your orders are required; please report to the Communication department, as soon as possible.

Intrigued but, not particularly alarmed, Autumn drank his coffee, and walked out of his apartment. On the way, he walked into the clinic and asked to see Major Sullivan. He found the major in good spirits; the bullet had been extracted successfully, no vital organs were damaged and he was to be discharged in an hour. "Excellent, I'll ask if they can discharge you early, there is a present matter, which needs my attention, and I would like your feedback." Autumn offered. "Damn straight, I'll go with you." Sullivan answered. Autumn called the head doctor, and obtained his permission. Sullivan was getting dressed in his uniform, while Autumn read an ancient book he found in the bottom of a closet in that room. "All right, are you ready sir?" Sullivan said as he straightened his uniform over his body. "Let's go Major." Autumn replied. They both got up and headed out.

The communication center was filled by its personnel, and the majority of them were clustered around the central display in the far wall. A bald officer wearing thick glasses noticed them and walked over to them. "Sir, come over here." He asked. As they led them to the display, the people dispersed to make room. On the monitor was a blurry static image of a man in a suit, and the message:

TO ALL ENCLAVE PERSONNEL:

The system of continuity of government, has determined me to be the next president of the United States of America. I require all Enclave personnel to make their way to Site R, Raven Rock Bunker in the northwestern Washington D.C. area. Reply to this message, as promptly as possible.

"It is possible to communicate directly with a VoIP protocol. We would need to rely on ARPANET 2.40" the officer that had led them in said. "Do it." Autumn ordered. The monitor reset itself and the static image filled the whole screen. Autumn put on a headset and spoke. "This is Navarro Base, do you read me?" After a few moments, there was a reply: "This is the President of the United States, I hear you. Who am I speaking with?" a man with a very charismatic voice replied. "This is Enclave Commander, Colonel Augustus Autumn. Can you confirm your identity?" Autumn asked. "One moment." The President replied. One of the other monitors in the room awoke from its sleeping state and rapidly began displaying the countersigns to all the security and identity checks. _There is no way someone can type that fast. _Autumn thought privately, and then when the process was done, Autumn asked again: "Can you give us a verbal countersign? Here it is. Give me liberty" "or give me death." The President replied. Autumn conceded the fact that he was talking to someone undoubtedly related to the Enclave, but he wasn't convinced this man was elected to be the President. "I don't recall an election taking place, how did you come to be president?" Autumn thoughtfully asked. The President laughed heartily and replied: "All right, this is rather important. The question is; just how I came to be elected to this most illustrious office? Or whether or not I had been elected at all! To that I must answer; of course. Of course I was elected, dear Americans, of course! Isn't the right to vote the very foundation of a democracy? Unfortunately, in the interest of national security, I am not at liberty to discuss the details of the election, you understand. But rest assured, I am your president because the appropriate people of this great nation decided I should be. I am your duly elected representative. Of course, when the time comes, when my term is up, America will be free to elect a new president. And that person will have our full faith and confidence, and carry our collective values forward into the future. Democracy, dear America. Democracy now, and forever." Someone started applauding and soon everyone joined in, except Autumn and Sullivan. "There's more to this than meets the eye, Autumn." Sullivan said. "I know, you saw what he just did there? He turned the conversation away from the question. He's just as shrewd as Richardson himself." Autumn replied. The cheering had subsided, and the President was thanking them. "One America, one Enclave, Now and Forever." He said to the people in the communication center. Autumn asked one final question. "By the way, I didn't catch you name Mr. President." "Oh, how terribly rude of me! Thank you Colonel. People of the Enclave this is your President, John Henry Eden."


End file.
